In the Adjustments panel, select the Color Balance icon, or select Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance.
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Apply Color Balance adjustment in Photoshop
Last updated on
Sep 30, 2026
Learn how to use tonal sliders to correct color casts across shadows, midtones, and highlights non-destructively.
Correcting color imperfections in specific tonal ranges helps your photos achieve professional polish and visual impact.
Use Color Balance to shift colors across specific tonal ranges (shadows, midtones, highlights) with precision sliders. This adjustment works best as an adjustment layer, preserving your original image and letting you refine settings at any time. For comprehensive color corrections involving multiple techniques, see work with adjustment and fill layers.
Apply Color Balance as an adjustment layer
In the Properties panel, select a tonal range: Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights.
Drag the Cyan/Red, Magenta/Green, or Yellow/Blue slider toward the color you want to add or away from the color you want to reduce. Values range from ‑100 to +100.
Optional: Clear the Preserve Luminosity checkbox to have color shifts affect brightness values. By default, this option maintains overall tonal balance.
Tip
Target midtones first for general color correction, then refine shadows and highlights for greater control.
Note
To apply Color Balance destructively (permanently altering pixel data), select Image > Adjustments > Color Balance. This method discards original image information and limits future editing flexibility.
The Color Balance adjustment layer appears above your image layer in the Layers panel. Double-click the adjustment layer thumbnail to reopen the Properties panel and modify settings at any time. Use the layer mask to apply the adjustment to specific image areas or adjust layer opacity to reduce the overall effect strength.
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